Friday, December 5, 2014

Retro Friday: Martín Gaitan scores v Romania in RWC 2003

Argentina's opening try against Romania in Rugby World Cup 2003 was memorable. From a set-move fly half Juan de la Cruz Fernández Miranda gave a flat pass to outside centre Martín Gaitan who ran into a gap as five beaten defenders stood seeing the speedster score under the posts. The try was his fourth of the World Cup after he had scored a hat-trick against Namibia in Argentina's second pool match. The injury plagued career of Gaitan saw him earning just ten test caps despite having played in Rugby World Cup 2003 and being on target for a second tournament in 2007. Gaitan was forced out of Rugby World Cup 2007 and into retirement after having suffered a heart attack after facing Wales in Cardiff in a warm-up match in the final phase before the tournament in France. He scored a total of eight test tries and was a professional player in France from 2002-2007.